(a) Introduction. Payments are available under this section for services provided through September 30, 2019, by an eligible physician group practice described in subsection (c) of this section. Waiver payments to physician group practices for uncompensated charity care provided beginning October 1, 2019, are described in §355.8214 of this division (relating to Waiver Payments to Physician Group Practices for Uncompensated Charity Care). Waiver payments to an eligible physician group practice must be in compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved waiver Program Funding and Mechanics Protocol, HHSC waiver instructions, and this section.
(b) Definitions.
  (1) Aggregate limit--The amount of funds approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for uncompensated-care payments for the demonstration year that is allocated to the physician group practice uncompensated-care pool, as described in §355.8201 of this title (relating to Waiver Payments to Hospitals for Uncompensated Care).
  (2) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)--The federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services responsible for overseeing and directing Medicare and Medicaid, or its successor.
  (3) Demonstration year--The 12-month period beginning October 1 for which the payments calculated under this section are made. This period corresponds to the Disproportionate Share Hospital program year.
  (4) Delivery System Reform Incentive Payments (DSRIP)--Payments related to the development or implementation of a program of activity that supports efforts to enhance access to health care, the quality of care, and the health of patients and families it serves.
  (5) Governmental entity--A state agency or a political subdivision of the state. A governmental entity includes a hospital authority, hospital district, city, county, or state entity.
  (6) HHSC--The Texas Health and Human Services Commission or its designee.
  (7) Intergovernmental transfer (IGT)--A transfer of public funds from a governmental entity to HHSC.
  (8) Mid-Level Professional--Medical practitioners which include only these professions: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Dentists, Certified Nurse Midwives, Clinical Social Workers, Clinical Psychologists, and Optometrists.
  (9) Public funds--Funds derived from taxes, assessments, levies, investments, and other public revenues within the sole and unrestricted control of a governmental entity. Public funds do not include gifts, grants, trusts, or donations, the use of which is conditioned on supplying a benefit solely to the donor or grantor of the funds.
  (10) Regional Healthcare Partnership (RHP)--A collaboration of interested participants that work collectively to develop and submit to the state a regional plan for health care delivery system reform. Regional Healthcare Partnerships will support coordinated, efficient delivery of quality care and a plan for investments in system transformation that is driven by the needs of local hospitals, communities, and populations.
  (11) RHP plan--A multi-year plan within which participants propose their portion of waiver funding and DSRIP projects.
  (12) Transition payment--Payments available only during the first demonstration year.
  (13) Uncompensated-care physician application--A form prescribed by HHSC to identify uncompensated costs for Medicaid-enrolled providers.
  (14) Uncompensated-care payments--Payments available after the first demonstration year and calculated as described in subsection (g) of this section. Uncompensated-care payments are intended to defray the uncompensated costs of services that meet the definition of "medical assistance" contained in §1905(a) of the Social Security Act that are provided by the physician group practice to Medicaid eligible or uninsured individuals.
  (15) Uninsured patient--An individual who has no health insurance or other source of third-party coverage for services, as defined by CMS.
  (16) Waiver--The Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Medicaid demonstration waiver under §1115 of the Social Security Act.
(c) Eligibility. A physician group practice is eligible to receive payments under this section if:
  (1) it is enrolled as a Medicaid provider in the State of Texas at the beginning of the demonstration year;
  (2) it has a source of IGT as the non-federal share of the payments;
  (3) for a private physician group practice only, it has met the submission requirements set forth in §355.8201(c)(1)(B)(iii) of this title, only insofar as that clause relates to certifications, and it files documents with HHSC by the date specified by HHSC, certifying that:
    (A) all funds transferred to HHSC as the non-federal share of the waiver payments are public funds; and
    (B) no part of any payment received by the physician group practice under this section will be returned to the governmental entity that transferred to HHSC the non-federal share of the waiver payments;
  (4) it has submitted to HHSC an acceptable uncompensated-care physician application for the demonstration year by the deadline specified by HHSC; and
  (5) it has submitted, and is eligible to receive payment for, a Medicaid fee-for-service or managed-care claim for payment during the demonstration year and either:
    (A) it received a supplemental payment under the Texas Medicaid State Plan for claims adjudicated in one or more months between October 1, 2010, and September 30, 2011; or
    (B) it is the successor in a contract to a physician group practice that received a supplemental payment under the Texas Medicaid State Plan for claims adjudicated in one or more months between October 1, 2010, and September 30, 2011.
  (6) A physician group practice that fails to submit the required documentation in compliance with this subsection will not receive a payment under this section.
(d) Source of funding.
  (1) The non-federal share of funding for payments under this section is limited to and obtained through an IGT from the governmental entity that owns or is affiliated with the physician group practice receiving the payment.
  (2) An IGT that is not received by the date specified by HHSC may not be accepted.
(e) Payment frequency. HHSC will distribute waiver payments on a schedule to be determined by HHSC and posted on HHSC's website.
(f) Funding limitations.
  (1) Payments made under this section are limited by the maximum aggregate amount of funds allocated to the physician group practice uncompensated-care pool for the demonstration year as described in §355.8201 of this title. If payments for uncompensated care for the physician group practice uncompensated-care pool attributable to a demonstration year are expected to exceed the aggregate amount of funds allocated to that pool by HHSC for that demonstration year, HHSC will reduce payments to providers in the pool as described in subsection (g)(4) of this section.
  (2) Payments made under this section are limited by the availability of funds identified in subsection (d) of this section. If sufficient funds are not available for all payments for which a physician group practice is eligible, HHSC will reduce payments as described in subsection (h)(2) of this section.
(g) Uncompensated-care payment amount.
  (1) Uncompensated-care physician application. Payments to eligible physician group practices are based on cost and payment data reported by the physician group practice on an application form prescribed by HHSC.
    (A) Cost and payment data reported by the physician group practice in the uncompensated-care physician application is used to:
      (i) calculate the annual maximum uncompensated-care payment amount for the applicable demonstration year, as described in paragraph (2) of this subsection; and
      (ii) reconcile the actual uncompensated-care costs reported by the physician group practice for a prior period with uncompensated-care waiver payments, if any, made to the practice for the same period. The reconciliation process is more fully described in subsection (j) of this section.
    (B) Unless otherwise instructed in the uncompensated-care physician application:
      (i) the cost and payment data reported in the uncompensated-care physician application must be consistent with Medicare cost-reporting principles and must comply with the application instructions or other guidance issued by HHSC, and the physician group practice must maintain sufficient documentation to support the reported data or information; and
Cont'd...